SOUTH AFRICA
Strengths: A well oiled machinery and an impeccable fielding unit. Great depth in batting with effective finishers like Kemp, Boucher and Pollock to supplement the flair of Kallis, Gibbs and Smith. Fiery fast bowling unit.
Weaknesses: Suspect mental temperament and an unnerring ability to choke. Bowling attack one dimensional with negligible slow bowling options and a batting line-up that is vulnerable to high quality fast or spin bowling. A captain who loses his cool when the going gets tough.
Opportunities: The game against Australia could be the springboard for a great campaign. Have the best record in the Caribbean of all the teams. With boundaries likely to be at a premium, their fielding could shut teams out. Teams will be wary of the numero uno.
Threats: Sense of complacency. Their run in recent times has been at home where they are pretty much invincible. Seamer friendly conditions back home have blinded them of the lack of variety in their attack. A single defeat and it could all unravel.
Counsel: Hit the ground hard and aggressive. Try and dominate the opposition thus leveraging your opposition. Make others fear you and therein lies your best chance. Use Andrew Hall and Pollock judiciously with the old and new ball respectively. Kallis should bat at 3 and told to play aggressively.
Verdict: See them losing to Australia in the Group Stages and things going badly thereafter. Too much sameness in the bowling attack will see them clobbered by good batsmen. Top sides will sort their top order out. No semifinal berth.
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